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At that moment, on a street in the southeastern part of Nanth Town.
A thin figure dressed in a black trench coat leaned casually against a wall, blending into the shadows.
His face was hidden beneath a raised hood, making his features impossible to see clearly.
But from the sharp outline of his chin beneath the shadow and his tall, narrow frame, it was easy to tell he was male.
What was truly unsettling was this.
Despite wearing such a conspicuous coat and standing openly by the roadside, the man drew not even the slightest attention from passersby.
It was as if he did not exist.
Suddenly, as though sensing something, the man snapped his head up and gazed across the buildings toward Quark's group.
His eyes remained hidden within the darkness of the hood.
A hoarse, murmuring voice drifted out.
"The Pokémon League."
"It does not matter anymore."
He lifted a hand, pressing the hood back into place as a light breeze tried to lift it.
With a tone filled with strange reverence, he whispered.
"The wraith will rise."
High above, in the vast blue sky, a massive black shadow swept past in silence.
A suffocating pressure washed over the town, accompanied by a low, birdlike cry that echoed through the empty streets.
Fran frowned.
She felt as though she had heard something and instinctively looked up toward the sky.
"What is it."
"Did you notice something."
Quark asked from the seat behind her, puzzled by her reaction.
"Didn't you hear that."
She paused.
"Never mind. It's probably nothing."
She shook her head, uncertainty flickering across her face.
Quark glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror but did not press further.
Instead, his expression hardened.
"We're almost at the League outpost. Stay alert when we get out. Do not lower your guard."
"This place is wrong."
Fran nodded.
Even without the warning, she had no intention of relaxing for even a second.
After seeing the state Nanth Town was in, anyone with common sense would know something was deeply off.
If the vehicle cabin had not been so cramped, she would have already released her Roserade to protect herself.
About twenty minutes later, the convoy stopped in front of an unremarkable building.
It looked no different from the surrounding houses, blending perfectly into the town's architectural style.
Only the red and white Poké Ball emblem on the roof set it apart.
This was their destination.
The Nanth Town outpost, operating under the Falyn City Pokémon League branch.
Local League staff normally worked here.
The engines fell silent, and the two off road vehicles came to a stop.
Yet no one got out.
Creak.
One of the car windows slowly rolled down, the sound echoing sharply in the empty street.
Moments later, two Poké Balls were thrown outward.
Click.
Click.
With crisp sounds and flashes of red light, two powerful Pokémon emerged.
Heat surged instantly as crimson flames bloomed, carrying a rich, intoxicating warmth into the cold air.
After scanning the surroundings and confirming there were no immediate threats, Rapidash lifted a hoof and let out a sharp whinny toward the vehicles, signaling that the area was clear.
Quark exhaled and was the first to step out.
The journey here had gone far too smoothly.
Given the oppressive atmosphere, he had been certain they would encounter something hostile along the way.
Instead, during the entire drive, they had not seen a single wild Pokémon or stray animal.
That was what truly terrified him.
Relief flickered through his mind, but the fear beneath it only grew stronger.
It reminded him of horror films from Kael's previous world.
The most terrifying moments were never when the monster appeared.
They were the long stretches of silence beforehand, filled with tension and expectation, where fear slowly took root.
Every second of the drive, Quark's nerves had been stretched tight, braced for an attack that never came.
Now, something dark was quietly fermenting beneath that tension.
Creak.
The door to the League outpost opened slowly.
The scene inside came into view.
Cold. Silent. Empty.
The staff that should have been moving about the lobby were gone without a trace.
Only a single receptionist stood behind the counter.
She wore a standard League uniform and had a slender build.
Her body was stiff, unmoving, like a machine left on standby.
Cold air clung to Quark's skin.
Swallowing, he scanned the lobby once more before cautiously leading the group toward the counter.
"Hello."
He called out carefully.
"We're a mission team from the Falyn City League branch."
His voice echoed through the empty hall.
The woman behind the counter reacted sharply.
Her body jerked as if startled awake.
The empty, doll like gaze fixed forward suddenly gained a strange spark of awareness.
On her pale, bloodless face, a smile appeared.
Not a human smile.
It was stiff, mechanical, driven only by muscle movement.
"Welcome."
"How may I assist you."
The cheerful tone clashed violently with her corpse like expression.
A surge of raw fear shot through the group.
"We need supplies."
Quark replied, his voice trembling despite himself.
He was still in his early twenties.
Even with prior mission experience, he had never encountered anything like this.
Compared to Fran and the others behind him, who were barely holding themselves upright, he was already the calmest one present.
"Understood."
"Please follow me. I will take you to the storage room."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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